Control device



Dec. 24,1946. J, H MURCH 2,413,031

CONTROL DEVICE Filed Dee. 14, 1943 2 sheets-sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

CONTROL DEVICE Filed Dec. 14, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

, i MM A T TOENEYS Patented Dec. 24, 1946 CONTROL DEVICE John H. Murch,East Orange, N. J., assigner to American Can Company, New York, N. Y., acorporation of New Jersey Application December 14, 1943, Serial No.514,253

Claims. l

The present invention relates to a machine for making containers or canbodies from flat blanks or sheets and has particular reference todevices for controlling the actuation of the machine in accordance withthe bringing together of marginal edge portions of the blanks or sheetsto form side seams for the bodies. This is an improvement on the canbody maker disclosed in United States Patent 2,169,311, issued August15, 1939, to M. E. Widell.

In the manufacture of container bodies made from fibre or the like sheetmaterial, a blank of the fibre stock is usually folded around a, formingmandrel or horn to give the finished body its proper shape. When thebody is to be rectangular in cross section, a rectangular shaped horn isused.

The folding of the blank around such a rectangular horn is usuallyeffected in two steps. In the rst step the blank is folded into aU-shape, thus forming three sides of the body. In the second step thefourth side of the body is formed by folding over into overlappingrelation, the upper portions of the two upstanding legs of the blank.This second folding operation is usually performed by wing type lingersor slides which when operating at high speeds some times crumple thebody material so that it becomes jammed on the forming horn and thusprevents further forming operations until the jammed condition isremoved.

The instant invention contemplates providing an electric control devicewhich operates to stop the machine when such a jam occurs,

An object of the invention is the provision in a container body makingmachine having movable folding fingers, of control devices which operateto stop the machine when a container body at the folding station becomesjammed so that other bodies moving as in a continuous procession throughthe machine will be prevented from becoming involved thus preventingserious damage to the machine.

Another object is the provision of such control devices which includeelectro-mechanical elements for stopping the machine.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparentas it is better understood from the following description, which, takenin connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a' preferredembodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a transverse view of a can body making machine embodying thepresent invention, the vView including a, wiring diagram of electriccontrol apparatus used in the machine;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a control device shown in Fig.1, the view being taken substantially along the broken lines 2-2 in thatfigure, with parts broken away;

Fig, 3 is an enlarged face view of the control device shown in Fig. 1with parts shown in a, different position; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the machine shown in Fig. 1, the Viewbeing taken substantially along the line 4 4 in that figure, with partsbroken away.

As a preferred embodiment of the present invention the drawingsillustrate control devices A (Fig. 1) located at a container bodyfolding station B in a libre container body making machine such as isdescribed fully in the Widell patent hereinbefore mentioned. Thesedevices are effective for stopping the machine in the event of a jam,during the folding of partially formed U- shaped container bodies C intosquare or -rectangular shaped tubular bodies, while they are advancedalong a forming mandrel or horn H The body forming horn extendslongitudinally of the machine and is supported in the usual manner abovea vertical frame l2, carried on a machine base i3. The horn is disposedbetween side brackets I4 which keep the upstanding sides (indicated bythe letters D and E) of the U-shaped partially formed bodies, in anupright position. These brackets are secured to the top of the frame I2.

In order to incorporate the upstanding sides D, E of a partially formedbody, into a, side wall of the body, movable folding wings or fingers l5are provided. These fingers move in from opposite sides of the horn I land fold the extended sides D and E inwardly and downwardly against thetop of the horn in overlapping relation. The overlapped naps thereafterare united in the usual manner with a bonding agent of adhesive betweenthem and thus form the fourth wall or side of the container body.

Each movable linger l5 is secured to the upper end of a verticallydisposed bell crank I6. There are two such bell cranks, one on each sideof the horn Il and these are carried on pivot studs Il secured in theframe l2 at places below the horn (Fig. 1).

The bell cranks I6 are operated by vertical actuating links I8 which areconnected at their upper ends to short horizontal arms 22 of the bellcranks. The links I8 are connected at their lower ends to actuatingmembers or rocker levers 23 which are loosely mounted on pivot studs 24threadedly or otherwise secured in the frame l2.

There are two such actuating members, one for each bell crank I6.

The actuating members 23 comprise a part of each control device A. Twosuch control devices are used in the instant invention, one for eachfolding wing I5. Each of the actuating members 23 is operated throughits control device by a vertically disposed driving member or cam lever25 which is loosely mounted on each of the pivot studs 24. adjacent therocker levers 23.

The driving members 25 are rocked through a working stroke and thencethrough aV return stroke by electro-mechanical machine operating means.These means include a cam roller 26 carried on the lower end of each ofthe two driving members 25 and which operates in a cam groove 21 formedin one of a pair of rotatable drum cams 28. These cams are mounted inspaced relation on a machine drive shaft 32 journaled in bearings 33 inthe frame I2. The shaft 32 is rotated through a gear 34 mounted on oneend of the shaft, and in mesh with and driven by a motor pinio-n 35 ofan electric motor 36.

The actuating member` 23 and the driving member 25 of each controldevice A (Figs. 2 and 3) are tied together by a yieldable connection sothat both members normally operate as a unit. Each yieldable connectionincludes a pair of cooperating lugs 31, 38 formed respectively on themembers 23, 25. The lugs of each pair normally are held together inoperating engagement by a compression spring 42. This spring surrounds abolt 43 which is threaded into one of the lugs and extends through aslot in the other. Locknuts on the outer end of the bolt hold the springin place.

Hence as a driving lever 25 is rocked through a working stroke by itscam 28 the resulting action is imparted through the spring 42 to theadjacent actuating member 23 to its link I8' and connecting bell crankI6 and to the folding nger I5 carried thereby. This action results inthe inward movement of the movable ringer I5.

The cams 28 are timed to actuate both folding fingers I5 at the sametime but one finger is caused to move just a little behind the other inorder to elect a proper overlapping of the flaps of the container body.In the event of a jam, while folding one. or the other of the flaps D, Eof a container body, the jammed finger I5 will stop moving and itsassociated spring 42 will yield. r

This permits the associated driving member 25 to continue its movementwhich now takes place relative to the held member 23 (Fig. 3).

Provision is made under such conditions for stopping the machine so thatthe jammed container body may be removed. For this purpose slidable stopelements 44 (Figs. 2 and 3) are employed. There are two of these stopelements, one for each control device A and they are carried in upperarm sections 45 of each of the actuating members 23 and are retained inplace by blocks 4B secured to the arm sections.

The lower end of each stop element 44 is formed with a foot 41 having adetent 48 which normally is engaged within a notch 49 formed in a curvedtop or cam surface 50 of a boss 5I formed on the driving member 25. Acompression spring 52 interposed between the block 4S and the foot 41 ofeach stop element keeps the detent 48 yieldably in place in its notch 49during normal operations of the machine.

The upper end of each stop element 44 is formed with an enlarged head 55having a curved top surface which lightly engages against a movableelement 55 of a normally closed electric stop switch 51. There are twoof these switches, one for each control device A and they are secured tothe machine side frames i2. The curved surface of the enlarged heads ofthe stop elements slide back and forth across the outer end of theswitch elements without actuating the elements, as the driving members25 rock back and forth during normal operation of the machine.

The two electric stop switches 51 are connected in series by a wire 58which forms part of an electric circuit connecting with the electricmotor 36 hereinbefore mentioned. One of the switches is also connectedby a wire 63 to the motor. The other switch is connected by a wire E4 toa suitable source of electric energy, such as a generator F. Thegenerator in turn is connected by a wire 65 to one side of a serviceswitch 65. The opposite side of this switch is connected by a wire 61 tothe electric motor 3B.

Hence when the service switch GS is closed, electric energy from thegenerator F flows through the circuit, including the two normally closedstop switches 51 and thereby excites the motor 3S to keep the machine innormal operation. However, when a jam occurs in the machine and bringsabout the relative movement between the actuating member 23 and thedriving member 25 of the control device A associated with the jammedforming wing I5 as hereinbefore mentioned, the detent 48 is forcedupwardly out of its notch 45 and rides up on the top of the curved camsurface 5D of the driving member lug 5I. This action lifts stop element44 against the movable element 53 of the adjacent electric stop switch51 and thereby opens the switch.

Opening of either one of the stop switches 51 in this manner breaks themotor circuit and thus stops the machine. When the jammed container bodyhas been removed from the horn II, the forming wing or wings will againfunction properly and the machine may then be turned over manually or bejogged into starting position by electric starting devices or the liketo re-seat the dislocated detent 48. Re-seating of the detent will closethe associated stop switch 51 and thereby re-establish the motor circuitfor the resumption of the normal operation of the machine.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantageswill be understood from the foregoing description, and it will beapparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction andarrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the formhereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. In a container body forming machine, the combination of a horn, amovable finger for bending a portion of a container body blank on saidhorn, an actuating member for moving said finger, a driving memberresiliently connected with said actuating member for operating it, saiddriving member being resiliently movable relative to said actuatingmember only when a body on said horn becomes jammed and stops furthermovement of said finger, machine operating means for said drivingmember, a stop element carried on one of said members and engageablewith the other member and slidably movable by the latter when themembers shift relative to each other, and means operable by said stopelement when it shifts to stop said machine operating means.

2. In a container body forming machine, the combination of a horn, amovable linger for bending a portion of a container body blank over saidhorn, an actuating member for moving said finger, a driving memberresiliently connected with said actuating member for operating it, saiddriving member being resiliently movable relative to said actuatinormember only when a body on said horn becomes jammed and stops themovement of said linger, electro-mechanical operating means for saiddriving member, a stop element slidaby mounted on one of said membersand resiliently engageable with the other member and slidably movable bythe latter when the members shift relative to each other, and electricmeans operable by said stop element when the latter slidably shifts tostop said electro-mechanical operating means.

3. In a container body forming machine, the combination of a horn, amovable finger for Wrapping a portion of a container body blank aroundsaid horn, a pivotally mounted actuating lever for moving said nger, adriving lever pivotally mounted adjacent said actuating lever andresiliently connected thereto for operating the latter, said drivinglever being movable resiliently relative to said actuating lever onlywhen a body on said horn becomes jammed and stops the movement of saidnger, machine operating means for said driving lever, a stop elementcarried on one of said levers and engageable against a cam surface onthe other of said levers and slidably movable by said cam surface whenthe levers shift relative to each other, and means operable by said stopelement when the latter slidably moves to stop said machine operatingmeans.

4. In a container body forming machine, the combination of a horn, amovable linger for wrapping a portion of a container body blank aroundsaid horn, a pivotally mounted actuating lever for moving said nger, adriving lever pivotally mounted adjacent said actuating lever andresiliently connected thereto for operating the same, said drivinglevez` being movable relative to said actuating lever only when a bodyon said horn becomes jammed and stops the movement of said nger, machineoperating means for said driving lever, a slidable stop element carriedon one of said levers and having a detent engageable in a notch formedin a cam surface on the other of said levers, spring means for normallyholding said detent in its said notch to restrain movement of said stopelement, said stop element being bodily slidably movable by said camsurface when said actuating and driving levers shift relative to eachother, an electric switch engageable by said stop element and operablethereby when the stop element slidably moves relative to its carryinglever, and electric means engageable and operable by said electricswitch for stopping said machine operating means.

,5. In a container body forming machine, the combination of a horn, aplurality of movable ngers for wrapping portions of a container bodyblank around said horn, an actuating -member for each of said iingersfor moving the same, a driving member for each of said actuating membersand resiliently connected with said actuating members for operating thelatter, a said driving member for a given linger being movable relativeto a said actuating member for the finger only when a body on said hornbecomes jammed and stops movement of said finger, machine operatingmeans for said driving members, a stop element carried on each of saidactuatingmembers and engageable with its said driving member and bodilymovable by said driving member when the latter shifts relative to itsassociated actuating member, an electric stop switch disposed adjacenteach of said actuating members and operable by the stop element of saidactuating member when the latter slidably moves relative to its drivingmember, and electric means operable by any one of said electric switchesfor stopping said machine operating means.

J OHN I-I. MURCH.

